On March 21, the boys lacrosse team commenced their season with a victory against Marquette. Their sights are set on continual improvement throughout the season, ultimately aiming to clinch a state championship.
Coach Charlie Mort adopts an approach to foster a positive team environment while maintaining competitiveness.
“I like to encourage players to congratulate and politely give constructive criticism to each other by leading by example. That creates bonds between the players and helps them all to get the same mindset of wanting to win. Bashing others’ mistakes instead of giving them words of advice creates tension,” Mort said.
Preparing for games is top priority, and there are various methods to achieve readiness. David Foster, senior defenseman, discussed how he prepared before for games during practice.
“Listening to music, maintaining a quiet and focused demeanor, and staying relaxed are crucial. These practices help me stay composed before games, and incorporating them into practice makes them habitual,” Foster said.
Like Foster, Bryce Brown, senior midfielder, has pregame rituals as well. As his first year on varsity can be scary, he uses similar methods to Foster.
¨Maintaining physical and mental health outside of practice, such as getting good rest, proper nutrition and managing stress contributes to my overall motivation and performance during practice sessions as well as doing what Coach says so I don’t have to run,¨ Brown said.
Coach Mort shared his coaching philosophy and how it influences his approach to lacrosse.
¨As a former athlete and current coach, I like to focus on the little things and encourage my players to do the same. Everyone does the main drills and whatnot for whichever sport they are playing. The little things help you advance further and helps develop muscle memory,¨ Mort said.